When a hummingbird hawk-moth changes everything

I wrote this line sometime ago. I was thinking how overwhelming our lives are – there’s so many issues to worry about: on a personal level we care about work, family, money, friends, and all the micro occurrences in our daily lives that we have to deal with; on a wider scale we stress about the environment, recycling the massive amounts of waste we create, war in foreign countries, and the thought that nuclear power might wipe us all out (or at least these are things that worry me). I think these feelings of utter helplessness in the face of it all can cause us to harden, to say ‘well I can’t do everything’. And this is right. No individual can do everything. So we look to do what we can within our sphere of understanding and influence. Everyone is different, which means we will all make a difference in our own small ways. I’ve donated £5 a month to Greenpeace for years. Will it fund much? I don’t know but it’s something. Selling/gifting/donating most of our possessions was a biggie. Along with learning to want less. Switching to home-made vinegar cleaning products, buying second hand, not owning land, eating veggie (mainly vegan) food. These are things I can do. It’s different for everyone. I suppose for me, a huge part of vanlife is about being connected with the land whilst also having a massive overhaul of self. Yesterday Andy spotted a hummingbird hawk-moth. I didn’t even know they existed. What a sublime creature! Seeing a couple of these creatures flitting between flowers transformed the whole day. I felt like the luckiest person on earth. These celebratory moments are what I’m now building a life from. Maybe that’s not a lot – but it’s changing my whole world.